The Second Day of Yuletide ...

The second day of Yule is a day of hearth and home. 

The First Day of Yuletide ...

 We've all heard the song, the 12 days of Christmas, but did you know that is connected to the 12 days of Yule? Many of the traditions we have in our modern Christmas celebration, comes from a celebration that happened long before Christianity. 

Most nations of the Northern hemisphere (it's the shortest night on the Southern hemisphere) celebrated the last 12 days of the year in reverie. The ancient peoples worked hard to survive, but on these last days of the year, no work was allowed. Everyone celebrated life. 

Today is the winter solstice. Tonight, in the Northern Hemisphere, it is the longest night of the year. Tonight it is Mother Night. 

The first night of Yule is Mother night. The winter solstice celebrates the birth of the coming Spring. The evening is spent honoring the mother ancestors that protect us. It honors the return of the sun and seasons of life. 

Share the Wealth Link up #9

Oh my gosh!! I just realized yesterday was the 15th!! I'm late!! I'm so sorry - but here is the party for the rest of 2021 - yes - it's almost 2022! Man time flew. But here are some great ideas for now - check them out and share your own!

So come on in, share your creative posts - cooking, crafts, gardening, journaling - anything that can spur those creative juices! 

On the first and 15th every month a new party will start and run until the day before the next one is to start (14th and last day of the month). 

Please remember to share something you did not share at the last party. 

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

 

I love Christmas! I love the lights, the sparkles, and all the cozy warmth of the season. I usually have everything up by the weekend after Thanksgiving, but this year was a little late. 

One of our four cats got really sick before Thanksgiving and was hospitalized for three days. It's been stressful (and expensive), but he's on the mend and things are getting back to normal. 

And now the decorations are up and making our house a Christmas place. The photos below are of my house and my decorations. My husband is a woodworker and does stained glass. Much of what you see here, he made. 

The hope for this post is that the photos will inspire you and give you pleasure. 

My Big Fat Menopausal Wishlist - 2021

I've been window shopping! And I've made a list of all the things I'd love to have - Check it out! Maybe you'll find an idea for someone on your list!

Share the Wealth Link up #8

 Happy Hanukkah. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! And now we have Christmas, winter, snow (I hope), and cold! And with the winter cold we spend more time indoors and need more things to do. 

So come on in, share your creative posts - cooking, crafts, gardening, journaling - anything that can spur those creative juices! 

On the first and 15th every month a new party will start and run until the day before the next one is to start (14th and last day of the month). 

Please remember to share something you did not share at the last party. 

What is Thankgiving?

 When we think of Thanksgiving we think of pilgrims and indians. The first Thanksgiving was shared by the colonists with the local native tribe. The people of the Wampanoag Nation brought food and taught them farming in the region. In November of 1621, after a particularly successful corn harvest, both groups of people celebrated the success for three days. This came to be known as the first Thanksgiving, and sadly one of few peaceful interactions between the new arrivals and the Native population.

The second Thanksgiving was celebrated three years later after the end of a drought that threatened all the crops. The governor called for a religious fast - and days later they broke it with a celebratory feast. 

From this day on, the colonies each celebrated some from of "thanksgiving" - a feast celebrating the bounty of the harvest. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln called for an annual day of Thanksgiving to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November. Coming at the heels of the Civil War, he called for people to come together and heal as a Nation.